Have you ever read that one saying that seems to perfectly sum up your life? I did this past week through the avenue of email. Someone sent me an email with various sayings on it and this one special one was the one which stood out above all the rest as applying to my life. It read simply: "I never make misakes!"

That little saying is perfect for my life, because it shows my inability to get some things right no matter how hard I try or how simple they seem to be. It goes beyond the mistakes in spelling and grammar you often find in my writings; I have trouble getting things right in almost any area of my life.

I remember one of the situations from the old television comedy, "The Odd Couple." In this particular scene that I often remember, Oscar had a gambling problem. He had lost most of his money to a friend in a "friendly" game of cards. The friend really didn't want the money, he wanted to help Oscar. So, he told Oscar he would give him a chance to win all of the money back. Oscar said, "OK, what do you want to bet?"

The friend said, "I'll bet you all of your money that you can't type your name correctly in ten seconds." Oscar was smiling from ear to ear! He was a professional writer and had typed his name thousands of times. Oscar sits down in front of the typewriter and tries to type his name and fails to get it right. His friend offers him another chance and he blows it again, then another chance and he still can't get it right.

You see, that is me! I am Oscar in that story! Like you, I try. I really do try to do things in the best possible way. However, sometimes no matter how much I try I just can't do it. Each morning I pray that God will lead me and give me the wisdom to recognize his leading. I pray that he will give me wisdom to make the right decisions in my daily life and in the areas where my life touches the lives of others.

The truth is that I do make mistakes! In fact, it seems that if you or I were keeping account, I would have more mistakes than positive successes.

You may be like me, but I hope you do a better job at life than I do! If you are like me, you may be wondering, "What's the use? Why even try? I make mistakes! I say the wrong things. I do the wrong thing! I have the wrong thoughts and I tend to keep account of those things in my own heart."

A couple of passages come to mind regarding this kind of struggle. The apostle Paul talks about how he longs to do the right thing and live by the law of God. Yet, no matter how hard tries, he fails:

Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death (Romans 7:24-8:2 NLT).

The apostle John wrote something powerfully similar in his first letter:

If we say we have no sin [never make a mistake], we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong (1 John 1:8-9 NLT).

This is the bottom line!
Along with these Scriptures, let me point out that realizing that we are all bound to have weaknesses is not an excuse to stop trying to do what is right. It does not justify our intentional involvement in disobedience to God's word. John also writes:

If someone says, "I belong to God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth. But those who obey God's word really do love him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did (1 John 2:4-6 NLT).

This is the bottom line: No matter how badly you mess up trying to live for God, no matter how many mistakes you make, God will forgive you if you are truly trying to obey Him.

You may not even be able to type your name without making a "misake." But God so loved the world — including you — that Christ, His Son, died to save you. How much incentive does that give you to hang in there and try a little harder? If you are like me you can say, "I never make misakes"! And even as you say it, you know that it is God who makes it true!